On a dark, desert highway,
cool wind in my hair,
warm smell of Colitas rising up through the air.
Up ahead in the distance,
I saw a shimmering light - my head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim - I had to stop for the night.
There she stood in the doorway,
I hear the mission bell,
and I was thinking to myself:
"this could be heaven, or this could be hell."
Then she lit up a candle,
and she showed me the way.
There were voices down the corridor...
I thought I heard them say:
"Welcome to the Hotel California, such a lovely place
(such a lovely place)
such a lovely face.
Plenty of room at the Hotel California, any time of year
(any time of year)
you can find it here."
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted,
she got the Mercedez Benz.
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she call friends.
How they dance in the courtyard...
sweet summer sweat;
some dance to remember, some dance to forget.
So I call up the Captain: "Please, bring me my wine."
He said: "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969."
And still those voices are calling from far away...
wake you up in the middle of the night just to hear them say:
"Welcome to the Hotel California, such a lovely place
(such a lovely place)
such a lovely face.
They living it up at the Hotel California,
what a nice surprise...
(what a nice surprise)
...bring your alibis.
Mirrors on the ceiling,
the pink champagne on ice,
and she said:
"We are all just prisoners here, of our own device."
And in the master's chambers, they gathered for the feast...
...they stab it with their steely knives,
but they just can't k** the beast.
Last thing I remember, I was running for the door,
I had to find the pa**age back to the place I was before.
"Relax", said the night man,
"We are programmed to receive...
...you can check out anytime you like,
but you can never leave."